NEW research has revealed that Gwynedd has the fifth-most unclaimed estates in the UK per 100,000 people.

The study, conducted by Investing Reviews, looked at what regions and surnames have the most unclaimed estates in the UK.

Gwynedd ranked fifth on the list, with 30 unclaimed estates among a population of 187,400, equating to 16.01 each per 100,000 people.

Only Surrey, Greater London, East Sussex and Bristol were placed higher in this regard.

Figures obtained from the UK government’s treasury solicitor showed 7,090 estates remain unclaimed, and according to data from the Office for National Statistics, the median amount of inheritance received by individuals is £11,000.

This puts the potential amount of unclaimed inheritance in the UK at more than £77million.

There are also 4,928 unclaimed estates left by people who have died since the turn of the millennium, and there are more than 7,000 on record in England and Wales, dating back as far as the 1970s.

The five most common surnames in the UK to have unclaimed estates were found to be Smith, Jones, Taylor, Brown and Williams.